Dr. William Rassman – Page 1792

June 13, 2006

Human Growth Hormone and Hair Loss – Balding Blog

Doc, all the recent talk about baseball players and Human Growth Hormone got me thinking about whether or not a person injecting HGH is likely to speed up their hairloss.

I know certain steroids will definately speed up hairloss but HGH, to my knowledge, is not considered a “steroid”. Shopping around the internet for propecia/proscar (not the generic kind) I came accross a site that offers HGH under the name Jintropin. It has some great benefits listed, but injecting HGH must have some serious side effects.

I believe that you are correct. I have had a number of patients who were taking HGH and had acceleration of their hair loss.

June 13, 2006

I Think My Hair Is Growing Back – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I used to have beautiful hair. Over the past year and a half I have been under a lot of stress. last summer i noticed two bald spots in my hair. they were the size of silver dollars. i went to a place where they said i had androgenic alopecia (they weren’t doctors) and now i wear a hair piece in my hair. it is hot, uncomfortable, and i can’t help but feel self concious. it’s also expensive, and i’m only 25 and can barely afford it. i’m a single mom.

i’ve worn the hair piece for about 5 months.

lately i’ve noticed that my hair has been growing faster, and my mother looked within my hair piece and says my hair may be growing back (my stress level has diminished quite a bit)

i was wondering (besides appearance) if there would be signs that this conditon is going away.

will my head be a little itchy, will i feel stubble? will the hair grow in and be thinner from the scalp at first (not like a telogen hair) and then grow in thicker? what kinds of things do you recomend I do to make my hair grow back, because i can’t live without hair anymore, and i’m not rich, and can’t afford medical procedures or cosmetic ones.

should i get a b12 shot, or purchase the ssublingual pill?

please help. i want to be normal and pretty again.

If you feel stubble, the you can assume that the hair is probably growing back. Hair cycles every 3-7 months (approximately) so if the hair loss is short term, you may see it reverse in that time frame. Wearing hair systems will cause traction alopecia and I would advise you against this, and suggest that you just style around your area of loss, if possible.

There are many medical conditions that need to be evaluated, so consider seeing a doctor and reviewing the Female Hair Loss category.

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June 13, 2006

Propecia Effectiveness Studies? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hi dr rassman, are there any studies to show the ratio of propecia users who have used for several yrs and then the drug loses its effectiveness, for instance 80% or 8 out of 10

There are no studies I am aware of that show such information. There are some general observations that I have made about finasteride which are strictly my opinion, however. Finasteride works better:

in younger men or when the hair loss is more recent (less than 2 -3 years)
in the crown for restoring hair
to prevent rather than restore hair in the front
to prevent shock hair loss after a transplant if it is started prior to the transplant
when the initial results are impressive, rather than at the end of the 5th year when the progressive nature of the hair loss continues with its slow progression

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June 12, 2006

Hair Loss InformationMeet Jenny (Video) – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

This is the first video of a new showcase of interviews with everyday people (both men and women) about their experiences with thinning hair — whether just noticing random people, family members, or even losing hair themselves. Based on the response I get, more of these style videos will be added to the site. Please feel free to post a comment or email me privately with your thoughts about these.

So please meet Jenny. She’s in her mid-20s, born and raised in Southern California. These are her opinions.

June 12, 2006

Questions About Propecia Shedding – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

Dr. Rassman,

I’m a 24 year old male and I’ve been losing my hair for the past 6 months at a fairly rapid pace – significant amount of hair loss in the shower, comes out when i run my hand through, definite loss of density, temporal recession, etc. This whole process really took me by surprise.

Yesterday, I began taking propecia and I’m hoping to keep a decent head of hair at least into my 30s. I’m concerned, however, about the potential for “propecia shedding.” I’ve read a great deal about it on your blog and I’m wondering if there are certain factors that make it more or less likely. For example, does it follow that because of my relatively rapid hair loss and noticable miniaturization (more hairs in telogen?) that I’m more likely to experience this shedding?

Also, does sudden, rapid loss indicate that propecia may not be effective for very long or be less likely to stop balding in spite of my age?

thank you so much for your time and this fantastic resource.

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Everybody reacts differently to drugs. The shedding that you are talking about is very rare and a transient process when it does occur. You may be over-reacting to what you read. I cannot predict how you will respond, but if you have genetic balding, then Propecia should give you some relief within a few months and you will see its final impact in about a year. Only time will tell. It may be frustrating, but you need to take Propecia for 6 to 8 months to see its effects. You may want to visit a doctor who can examine your hair under a hair densitometer for miniaturization so he/she can quantitatively track your hair growth, hair growth/loss pattern.

June 12, 2006

Hair Loss InformationHair Cloning Is Not Right Around The Corner – Hair Loss Information – Balding Blog

I read an article in the LA Times dated April 17, 2006, about the haircloning process. In your opinion, when will the hair cloning process be available to the public. Are you involved in the research of the hair cloning process?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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Almost every day, I get some form of this question. Sometimes they get posted here, sometimes I just reply with a link to the Hair Cloning category. The idea that hair cloning is around the corner has no basis, yet the rumor persists. I do not believe that we will see anything for a good 5 + years, maybe 10 years or something between. I stay right up front in this process and stay in touch with everyone doing the various types of research. This is not a recreational activity for a good solid researcher.

June 12, 2006

Amino Acids to Treat Hair Loss? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hi doctor, i’m hearing that by taking amino acids such as arginine and lysine can stop hairloss and even grow hair back. is this true, there are alot of products which stimulate the body to produce more hgh. i’m 29 by the way and starting to thin for the last couple of years.

Amino acids are merely building blocks of protein. A healthy diet contains plenty of proteins, minerals, vitamins, and other nutritional ingredients. So taking amino acids is like taking supplements. Unless you are malnourished, it is my opinion that taking amino acids will not have any significant impact on your hair growth or hair loss. If you are concerned about your hair loss and would like to seek medical treatment or medical advice you can make an appointment with a good doctor.

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June 12, 2006

Genetic Grafting? – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

hi dr rassman,
Have you heard about GENETIC GRAFTING? This clinic in Philadelphia claims to do that: http://www.ferrarihair.com/grafting.htm

What are your thoughts about it?

I would be more than suspicious about what “genetic grafting” really means. The site suggests scam or deceptive advertising all over it. There are no doctors or credentialed folks listed on that site. It seems every other website or clinic claim they are the “world leader”. Who are they leading?

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June 12, 2006

I Was Told I Don’t Have Good Density for Transplant – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

I had my second consultation with Dr. Bernstein in Fort Lee recently, and He told me that with a 1.3 rear hair density, I was not a great candidate for a transplant. I already have atleast a Norwood 4a and I don’t see what I have to lose (pardon the pun) by what I think would significantly improve my appearance if for a while. What is your opinion on this?

Telling me your donor density in one area does not tell me enough about your donor hair quality or your hair health. Asians often have donor densities of 1.6 and Africans have donor densities of 1.3. Do you have Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia? What is your age? These two questions are very important. For an African or Asian man under 25, a donor density of 1.3 without Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia may make a good candidate with high quality hair, while a Caucasian with Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia present and an effective density of 1.3 might make a very bad candidate for a hair transplant for many reasons. I am sure that Dr. Bernstein knows the answer to these questions and you should speak with him about it. I need more information to give you more help here.

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June 12, 2006

Shaving The Recipient Area Prior to Transplant – Hair Loss Information by Dr. William Rassman

Dr. Rassman:

I would appreciate your comments regarding the following: I have read of a debate or difference of opinion between hair transplant doctors on the value of shaving a patient’s hair in the recipient area prior to the transplant. Some doctors are proponents of having the patient cut the hair very short in the recipient area. These doctors claim that closely trimming the recipient area hair results in maximum density and no transection. Their contention is that when recipient areas are trimmed short, the doctor has an easier time of placing new recipient sites in the place of absent follicular units and alongside miniaturized follicular units. Also, by clipping the hair short, there is a lower risk of transection of existing hair. The final argument in support of clipping the hair short is that hair exits the scalp at an exact angle and the only way to precisely match that angle is to clip the hair short. Some doctors are so convinced of the benefits or trimming the hair in the recipient area that it is not an option for the patient. They are insisting that the patient do it.

On the other hand, other top transplant docs believe that it is not necessary for a patient to closely crop the recipient area hair and that while it may make things easier for the doc and the techs who do the graft placement, it does not lead to better density or less transection.

What is your opinion? Does closely cropping the hair in the recipient area give a better result? Is it of no value? Or, does the answer lie somewhere in-between?

There are many views and theories on this topic. Instead of making it complicated, I believe it is the doctor’s personal preference which (you may argue) may have a direct impact on the outcome. At NHI, we only cut the part of the donor area hair that we will removed just prior to surgery so that the surgery can be easily hidden after the surgery. On rare occasions, we will ask the patient to allow us to clip the recipient area hair (usually when we have complicated plugs to remove). We place a great deal of importance on the absence of detection and if a person shaves the head or cuts it short, it is an announcement that the person has had a hair transplant. I have trained many doctors on how to keep the hair long so that social disruptions are minimized and have learned to work between the longer hairs.

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